Harrell Royer, Jr., MD - Family Medicine, Oakboro

On first impression, Harrell Clark Royer, Jr., MD, doesn't come across as a doctor. His laid-back style and apparel -- usually blue jeans and cowboy boots -- give him more an air of "fishing buddy" than seasoned physician.

Raised in a small Georgia town, Dr. Royer feels right at home as a family physician at Oakboro Medical Services. He is part of a growing number of health care providers working in underserved areas through the N.C. Medical Society Foundation's Community Practitioner Program (CPP). The program assists communities with health care manpower shortages by recruiting, retaining and supporting primary care providers. In return for their service, providers receive financial assistance to repay their medical education loans.

"It is hard to find a match for some of the more rural communities -- someone who can appreciate the good things about being in a small town. Legislators and medical schools have been trying to solve it for years," said Dr. Royer. "You'll make less money and have to deal with a wider amount of problems. A lot of times you deal with the whole family -- and you don't have a psychiatrist across the street to treat depression or a cardiologist in town to assist heart problems."

"You want to do the best thing to save your patients money. I spend a lot of time helping guide them through the system -- some patients are overwhelmed (with insurance and non-medical related issues)," Dr. Royer said whose patients have found more than just a physician; they have found an advocate, a counselor and a friend.

Dr. Royer is also a director of a free community clinic in Albemarle where he volunteers as a physician. "Living in a small town, your patients become your people," he said. "They count on you."